Explosive-engine.



No. 703,724; Patented m I, 1902. I a. mass. EXPLOSIVEIENGINE.

(Application filed Aug. 1, i901. (Nd Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

Ne. 703,724. Patented July I, I902.

G. GIBBS. EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

(Application filed mg. 1, 1901. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

am" Y I x v a V QI/I/I fli n nmnu I I llllil r gun "N117, iiiii UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GEORGE GIBBS, OF CANON CITY, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO SPENCER H. ST. JOHN AND S. VERNON ST. JOHN, OF CANON CITY, COLORADO.

:EXPLOSlVE-ENGlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,724,0lated July 1, 1902.

Application filed August 1,1901. Serial No. 70,562 (No model: 7

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE GIBBS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Canon City, county of Fremont, and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lilXplosive-Em,

gines, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in explosive-engines, and has for its primary object to provide a simple and effective reversing mechanism therefor.

Another object is to provide a valve mechanism operated by the means for controlling the reversing mechanism and a reversible cam for operating the exhaust-valve andlcoacting with the reversing mechanism.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide simple and easily-operated mechanism for starting the engine.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter set forth, and particularlypointed out in the claims, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in w'hich Figure 1 is a front elevation, partially in section, of a gas-engine and the reversing mechanism therefor constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation illustrating the clutch mechanism and lever for operating the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the gearing and cam for controlling the exhaust-valve. Figs. 5 and 6 relate to details of the starting mechanism, and Fig. 7 illustrates the oil-feed valve.

Located at one side of the base 10 of the engine is the cylinder 11, provided with the usual water-jacket 12. The piston 13 reciprocating in the cylinder 11 is connected by the rod 14 to the crank-disk 15 keyed to the crank-shaft 15, the latter being journaled in boxes 16, located at the upper ends of standards 17 and 17 bolted to the base 10.

Secured to the cylinder 11 is a valve-casing 18, provided with chambers 19, 20, and 21, the central chamber or 20 communicating with the cylinder 11 through an eduction and induction port 22 and opening into the chambers 19 and 21 by ports 23 and 24:, respectively.

I The ports 23 and 24 are closed by valves 25 and 26, which open into the chamber 20. and toward each other; and the latter valve 26,

governing the ind notion of theexplosive mix 'ture, is provided with a stem 27, which passes through the bottom of the casing 18' and which is encircled by an expansion-spring 2S, reacting between the casing 18 and a nut-retained collar 29 at the end of the stem for holding the valve 26 normally to itsseat,

The stem 30 of, the valve 25 passes through the upper wall of the casing 18, and a spring ,31, coiled about the said stem and reacting against a collar 32, secured to the stem, is designed to seat the said valve.

- The products of combustion exhaust through the port 22 into the central chamber 20 of the valve-casing'and then by way of the chamber 19 and the pipe to the atmosphere,

the valve 25 being opened at the proper time .by mechanism to be hereinafter described.

The chamber 20 and port 22 serving alternately as an induction and eduction passage, it is necessary that the spring 31 for closing the exhaust-valve 25 be of greater tension than the spring 28 of the valve-26, which lat ter is opened by the suction created on the upstroke of the piston in order that the valve 25 may be held to its seat during the induction ofthe fuel to the cylinder.

34 is a mixing-chamber into which the liquid fuel enters by way of a pipe 35, leading from the tank 36, the air being drawn into the said mixing-chamber through a pipe 37.

The parts hereinbefore described may be p of known and ordinary construction, and I do not confinemyself thereto, my invention relating more particularly to the reversing k mechanism and the means for controlling the exhaust-valve of the engine and which I shall now proceed to describe.

Keyed to the crank-shaft 15 and near the end thereof adjacent to the cylinder 11 is a gear 38, which meshes withand drives a larger gear 39, journaled on a stud-shaft 40, fixed in the standard 17, a nut llbei'ng placed on the said shaft to retain the gear 39 thereon. The

gears 38 and 39 are so related that the latter makes one revolution for each two revolutions of the former.

Loosely mounted on the stud-shaft 40 and immediately above the stem 30 of the valve 25 is a double or two-faced cam 42, which is provided at the rim thereof with a pair of suitably-spaced projections 43 43, and secured to the gear 39 between the projections 43 43 and in the path thereof is a pin 44. It will be seen that as the gear 39 rotates it will carry the cam with it as soon as the pin 44 strikes one of the projections 43 43which one will depend upon the direction in which the gear 39 is moving.

The stem 30 of the valve 25 extends up into the path of the cam 42, whereby the valve 25 is opened once during each revolution of the gear 39 or at each fourth stroke of the piston 13 to allow the products of combustion to exhaust from the cylinder, and the spring 31 closes the valve as the cam moves out of contact with the stem thereof.

The means for reversing the engine consist, broadly, of a moving part driven by the engine and means for reversing the movement of such part to react on the piston.

The desired result may be attained by employing the mechanism shown in the drawings and comprising fly-wheels 45 and 4G, loosely mounted upon the shaft 15. These fly-wheels are designed to be continuously driven in opposite directions through the medium of a clutch for coupling one of them to the shaft 15 and a bevel-gear for imparting motion from such fly-wheel to the other.

Splined on the shaft 15. between the flywheels 45 and 46, is a clutch-sleeve 47, having tapering ends or barrel-shaped, which is designed to be moved so as to throw the frictionshoes 48 at the end of levers 48, pivoted to collars 49, fastened on the shaft 15, into engagement with the friction-bands 50, fixed to the fiy-wheels 45 and 46. The sleeve 47 being driven by the shaft 15, it will readily be seen that if the sleeve is moved either to the right or left from center it will trip the levers 48, toward which it is moving, and through the medium of the friction band thereof couple the fly-wheel adjacent thereto to the shaft 15.

The fiy-wheels are provided on their inner -faces with bevel-gears 72 73, and motion is transmitted from one to the other by a bevelgear 71, keyed to a vertical shaft 74, mounted in a socket at the end of a bracket 75, bolted to the standard 17.

The sleeve 47 of the clutch is operated by a lever 51, pivoted to a bracket 52, extending from the base 10, the said lever moving an arm 53, fulcrumed at the upper end of a bracket 54, extending from the bracket 75, carried by the standard 17. A yoke 56 at the inner end of the arm .53 straddles the sleeve 47 and is provided with fingers 55, entering a circumferential groove 47 on the sleeve.

The lever 51 plays over a quadrant 57, supported from the standards 17 and 17 by arms 57 and provided at the ends with oppositelyinclined teeth. Alatch 58, engaging the teeth,

serves to hold the lever 51 in any position to which it may be thrown, a central tooth 59 on the quadrant 57 being provided to secure the lever in a vertical position. The latch 58 is controlled by a bell-crank handpiece 60, pivoted to the lever, being connected therewith by a link 61, a spring 62 encircling the latch and holding the same normally in engagement with the teeth of the quadrant.

In addition to shifting the sleeve 47 of the clutch the lever 51 is designed to simultaneously open the exhaust-valve 25 Whenever the engine is reversed to permit the gases in the cylinder to escape, irrespective of the position of the piston. I

Connected to the handpiece at 63 is one end of a cord or rope 64. This cord is carried down and around a grooved pulley 65, journaled on the end of the bracket 52, heretofore referred to, around apulley 65, and then under a pulley 67 on a spindle 68, extending from the cylinder 11 to a short lever 69, pivoted at one end to the said cylinder.

An aperture is provided at the free end of the lever 69, through which the upper end of the stem 30 of the valve 25 passes, and the said stem is provided with a collar 70, against which the lever 69 acts to open the valve. It will be seen that if the handpiece 60 be pressed against the handhold 66 of the lever 51 the lever 69, through the medium of the cord 64, will force the stem 30 downward and open the valve 25.

A valve 76, having diagonal ports therethrough, is located in the pipe 35, leading from the tank 36, and is adapted to control the supply of fuel to the cylinder. The ports in the valve are alternately moved into and out of alinement with the passage in the pipe 35 as the lever 51 is moved from side to side by means of a rod 77, connected at one end to the lever 51 and at the other to a slotted arm 78, fast on the stem of the valve. When the slotted arm is vertical or in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 7, the valve is closed.

The following mechanism is provided for starting the engine: Loosely mounted on the shaft 74 of the gear 71 is a drum 79, provided at its upper end with a circular toothed track 80, which engages pawls 81, pivoted to the under side of the gear 71. Motion is imparted to the drum 79 to drive the gear 71, and thereby the fly-Wheels 45 and 46 through the medium of a cord 82, one of the ends of which is attached to the drum, the other end passing through an aperture in the lever 51 and being connected to a member 51 of the lever 51. The lever 51, as will be seen on referring to Fig. 3, is provided with an arm 51, pivoted at 51 to the part 51 above the pivot of the latter and is adapted to swing outwardly or away from the engine for starting the same. For convenience in operation the member 51 of the lever is provided with the handhold 66 and is made to carry the latching mechanism engaging the teeth of the quadrant 57.

The cord 82 when unwound from the drum. 79 in starting the engine is rewound thereonvarious systems employed are so well known in the art that it is deemed unnecessary to show the application of the same hereto. Power is transmitted from the engine by a driving-wheel 87, keyed to the shaft, 15.

When not in operation, the lever 51 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the clutch beingout of engagement with the fiy-wheels 45 46, the fuel-valve 76 closed, and the cord 82 wound up on the drum 79, holding the lever, member 51 against the part 51.

To start the engine, the member 51 of the lever is moved outwardly on its pivot or away from the engine, thereby turning the drum 79 and, by means of the pawls 81, the gear 71. This latter, meshing with the bevel-gears of the fly-wheels 45 46, drives the said wheels in opposite directions, and it is to be noted that the movement of each wheel is always in one direction only-that is to say, in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The member 51 of the lever is now released or moved to its vertical position,and the spring 83 having been wound up in unwinding the cord from the hub 79 exerts its tension to rewind the cord on the said hub. While the engine is in motion the pawls 81 of the gear 71 run over the teeth of the drum 79, being brought into action only in starting the engine. Motion having been imparted to the fly-wheels 45 46, the lever 51 is thrown, say, to the left, clutching the shaft to the moving fly-wheel 45 and at the same time opening the fuel-supply valve 76. The shaft 15 turning with the fly-wheel 45 the piston begins its movement, and motion is communicated to the gear 39 by the gear 38 on the shaft 15. On the outstroke of the piston the valve 26 is opened by suction and a supply of explosive mixture drawn into the cylinder from the mixing-chamber 34, which charge is compressed on the instroke of the piston and then exploded, the piston being driven outward. As soon as the latter reaches the limit of its outstroke the cam 42 is brought into play, moving the stem 30 downward and holding the valve 25 open until the piston has completed the fourth cycle or instroke. At this point the camris moved out of contact with the stem 30 and the valve is forced to its seat by the spring31, and on the next outstroke of the piston another charge of explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder, as heretofore described, and the fly-wheels are kept in constant motion by the clutch on the driving-shaft and the intermediate gear 71. If it be now desired to reversetheengine, and thereby the direction of movement of the vehicle or other machine being driven by the engine, the bell-crank handpiece is pressed against the handhold 66 of the lever, thus opening the exhaust-valve 25. irrespective of the position of the piston and permitting the products of combustion in the cylinder to escape, and simultaneously with the movement of the handpiece 60 the lever 51 is thrown to its vertical position, disengaging the clutch from the fly-wheel 45 and closing the fuelsupply valve 7 6. As soon as the vehicle or machine has been brought to a standstill, which in the case of the former would be aided by the brake thereof, the lever 51 is shifted to the right, thereby coupling the shaft 15 with the fiy-wheel 46, and this wheel continuing to turn by reason of the momentum previously imparted to it from the flywheel 45 drives the shaft 15 in its direction and reverses the stroke of the piston 13. The fuel-valve 76 is alsoagain opened, its other port coming into alinement with the passage in the pipe 35, and the operation continues as before.

In the reverse movement of the engine as soon as the pin 44 strikes the projection 43 of the cam 42 the exhaust-valve is opened, the timing of this operation being the same irrespective of the direction in which'the engine is runningthat is to say, the valve com' mences to open at the beginning of the fourthv cycle and closes at the end thereof and before the induction of the succeeding charge.

While I have described the invention in connection with a four-cycle engine, it will be obvious that it may be adapted to an engine of any other cycle. I do not confine myself to the construction illustrated, and various changes may be made in the reversing mechanism and other features of the invention without'departing from the spirit thereof. 1

I claim as my inventionv 1. In a gas-engine, the combination with a motor of a pair of operatively-connected reversely rotating momentum wheels, and means for connecting the two wheels in alternation with the motor.

2. In combination with an explosive-engiue, a shaft driven by the engine, a pairof oppositely rotating momentum wheels loosely mounted upon the shaft, and means for connecting the momentum-wheels with the shaft in alternation. I v

3. In combination with an explosive-engine, a shaft driven by the engine, a pair of oppositely-rotating momentum-wheels loosely mounted upon the shaft, and coupling mechanism for connecting the momentum-wheels with the shaft in alternation.

,4. In combination with an explosive-engine,

a shaft drivenby the engine, apair of oppo- I ing the shaft,a pair of reverselyrrotating members, and means for coupling said members to the shaft in alternation.

6. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder,a piston and a shaft connected with the piston, a momentum-wheel, indirect connection between the shaft and such wheel whereby the wheel is driven from the shaft but in the reverse direction, and means for breaking such indirect connection and for connecting the wheel directly with the shaft.

7. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder,a piston and a shaft connected with the piston, a momeutum-wheel,operative connection between the shaft and wheel, and means for changing the relative direction of rotation of the shaft and wheel.

8. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft for driving the latter, fiy-wheels loosely mounted on the shaft, and means for coupling the fiywheels to the shaft in alternation to reverse the engine.

9. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft for driving the latter, fiy-wheels loosely mounted on the shaft, a clutch splined on the shaft, and means for clutching the fly-wheels to the shaft in alternation.

10. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft for driving the latter, fly-wheels loosely mounted on the shaft, a clutch for coupling the fiywheels to the shaft in alternation, and means for driving the fly-wheels in opposite directions.

11. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a connection between the piston and the shaft for driving the latter, fly-wheels loosely mounted on the shaft, gears fixed to the fly-wheels, a gear meshing with the gears of the fly-wheels for driving the said fly-wheels in opposite directions, and a clutch carried by the shaft for coupling the fly-wheels to the shaft in alternation.

12. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft, an exhaust-valve for the cylinder, means for reversing the movement of the shaft, a lever for controlling the reversing means, and connection between said lever and the exhaustvalve.

13. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft, an exhaust-valve for the cylinder, means for reversing the movement of the shaft, means for controlling the reversing means, and connection between said last-named means and the exhaust-valve.

14. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft, an exhaust-valve for the cylinder, means for reversing the movement of the shaft, a lever for controlling the reversing means, a bellcrank handpiece pivoted to the lever, and connection between the bell-crank hand piece and the exhaust-valve.

15. In a gas-engine, in combination, a motor having a shaft, a pair of operatively-connected reversely-rotating momentum-wheels, means for connecting such wheels in alternation with the shaft, an exhaust-valve for the motor, and a cam operatively connected with the shaft for opening the valve.

16. In a gas-engine, in combination, a motor having a shaft, a pair of operatively-connected reversely-rotating momentum-wheels, means for connecting such wheels in alternation with the shaft, an exhaust-valve for the motor, a cam operatively connected with the shaft for opening the valve, and means for manually controlling the exhaust-valve.

17. In a gas-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, a connection between the piston and the shaft, means for reversing the movement of the shaft to reverse the engine, a gear driven from the shaft, a cam loosely mounted on the shaft of the gear, projections on the gear for engaging the cam to turn the same, and an exhaustvalve for the cylinder and which is opened by the cam.

18. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft, means for reversing the shaft to reverse the engine, a lever for controlling the reversing means, an exhaust-Valve, connection between the lever and the exhaust-valve for opening the latter, a gear driven from the shaft, a cam loosely mounted on the gear-shaft, projections on the gear for engaging the cam to turn the same in either direction, and the exhaustvalve having a stem which is moved by the cam to open the valve.

19. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft, flywheels loosely mounted on the shaft, gears fixed to the fiy-wheels, means for coupling the fly-wheels to the shaft in alternation, a gear meshing with the gears of the fiy-wheels for driving the same in opposite directions, and means for imparting motion to the gear for starting the engine.

20. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft, flywheels loosely mounted on the shaft, gears fixed to the fly-wheels, means for coupling the fly-wheels to the shaft in alternation, a gear meshing with the gears of the fiy-wheels for driving the same in opposite directions, a drum,pawl-and-ratchet connection between the drum and the gear, a lever, a cord attached to the lever and to the drum, and a spring for winding the cord upon the drum.

21. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therefor, a shaft, connection between the piston and the shaft, flywheels loosely mounted on the shaft, a clutch for coupling the fiy-wheels to the shaft in alternation, gears fixed to the fly-wheels, a gear meshing with the fly-Wheel gears for driving the latter in opposite directions, an exhaustvalve for the cylinder, a lever for moving the clutch, a handpiece pivoted to the lever, a

means for connecting the drum with the wheel.

23. 'In an explosive-engine, in combination, a shaft, a momentum-wheel loose on the shaft, means for securing the wheel to the shaft,a drum rotatable independently of the shaft and normally disconnected from the wheel, a pull-cord wound upon the drum, a spring acting in opposition to the cord, and auto matic means for connecting the drum with the wheel when the former is turned by means of the cord.

24:. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a shaft, a momentnm-wheel loose on the shaft, means for securing the wheel to the shaft,a second Wheel rotatable independently of the shaft, means for turning this second wheel, means for connecting the second wheel with the first wheel.

GEORGE GIBBS. Witnesses:

THEODORE ASHLEY, SCOTT HEATHERINGTON. 

